Page 4 - Supreme Court

SC quashes Bombay HC order granting interim protection to Sunil Biyani

The apex court ruled that the High Court could not grant protection from a possible future arrest after finding Biyani's anticipatory bail application to be premature

SC agrees to hear plea on disruption of essential services during protests

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea which raised the issue of disruption of essential services during protests. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was told by the counsel appearing for the petitioner that essential services were disrupted when protests were underway and ingress and egress was disturbed. The counsel said there is no way of knowing who is a protestor and who is not and the issue of disruption of essential services during protests is arising across the country. "We appreciate your concerns but how to issue a direction for that," the bench told the counsel. The apex court tagged the petition with a separate pending plea which has contended that the Jantar Mantar in Delhi was no longer a suitable venue for protests as they cause inconvenience to local residents and disrupt essential services. The top court on August 3 agreed to examine the separate PIL which seeks an alternative arrangement for holding ...

SC seeks Centre's response on plea seeking probe into CJP-linked activities

The Supreme Court has sought responses of the Centre, the Bar Council of India and the CBI on a plea seeking a probe into alleged fake advocates, fraudulent law degrees and the activities of persons associated with the Cockroach Janta Party. The CJP came into being following a remark made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing in May and later it led a Gen-Z protest against NEET-UG paper leak. A bench comprising the CJI and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana on Tuesday took note of the petition filed by advocate Raja Choudhary, who appeared as a party-in-person. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also been made a respondent. The plea also raises a broader issue concerning the alleged commercial exploitation, trademark appropriation and monetised circulation of oral observations made during judicial proceedings. It alleged that portions of the May 15 proceedings were selectively edited and subsequently circulated as memes, vid

Datanomics: Small increase in number of judges may not be enough

India's judicial strength has risen since 2019, but pending cases have grown faster, leaving the country with a severe shortage of judges relative to its population and workload

SC seeks status of appeals against West Bengal SIR voter deletions

The Court suggested that the existing tribunal mechanism could be improved through measures such as online access for judges

SC asks states to declare cancer 'notifiable disease' for early detection

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the 19 remaining states and Union territories to declare cancer a "notifiable disease" to ensure early detection and proper care of patients. The top court's direction came after it was informed that 17 of the 36 states and UTs have so far notified cancer as a "notified disease" in light of the recommendations made in a parliamentary standing committee report. The court had, on December 12 last year, issued notices and sought responses from the Centre and all the states and UTs on a public interest litigation (PIL) matter filed by renowned doctor Anurag Srivastava, seeking a direction to declare cancer a "notifiable disease" across the country to ensure early detection and proper care of patients. On Tuesday, a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked the Centre as to why it is not issuing "some mandatory guidelines for all states/UTs", saying there should be uniform policy. Additional Solici

Bike taxis pose safety, insurance concerns: Karnataka to Supreme Court

Karnataka has challenged a High Court ruling allowing motorcycles to be registered and permitted as bike taxis, citing passenger safety and insurance protection concerns

SC seeks Centre's reply on plea for speedy trials of drug-trafficking cases

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea seeking directions to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking, including a time-bound probe and trial of narcotics cases, confiscation of properties of traffickers and creation of a uniform investigation protocol. Observing that the problem is "very serious", a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said coordinated efforts by expert agencies were required to deal with the menace. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who has filed the petition, told the bench that a similar issue is already pending before the apex court. "The problem is very serious," the bench observed, adding that some kind of a solution has to be there by the expert agencies. Upadhyay said some of the countries, including Singapore, have taken several effective steps to deal with the problem of drug trafficking. The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, has sought directions to th

SC asks authorities to set up 2 special courts for Manipur violence cases

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Manipur and Assam governments and others to consider setting up two special trial courts to exclusively hear CBI and NIA cases arising from the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur. Taking stock of the status of investigations into cases arising from the ethnic violence in Manipur, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also directed the authorities to compile details of cases in which chargesheets have been filed so that victims, their families and legal counsel can access the relevant records. The bench also directed the registrar general of the high court concerned to submit a status report on the issue before the next date of hearing. "The authorities shall consider setting up two separate exclusive courts, one for dealing with the CBI cases and another for dealing with the NIA cases arising out of the Manipur violence. The registrar general of the high court shall submit a status report in this rega

SC to hear Tamil Nadu plea seeking Cauvery water from Karnataka on Aug 13

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on August 13 a plea of the Tamil Nadu government seeking directions to the Karnataka government for immediate release of the share of Cauvery water to it. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of submissions made by the counsel representing the state government that in a rain-deficient year Tamil Nadu was not getting its due share of Cauvery water. "We will list it for hearing on Thursday," the CJI said. The Joseph Vijay led-state government on August three approached the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Karnataka government for immediate release of the share of Cauvery water.

SC's motor TP direction may raise insurer commissions, consumer costs

The Supreme Court's proposed longer mandatory cover could raise upfront costs and insurer commission pressure, while doing little to address uninsured commercial vehicles

Ideological pollution at root of environmental degradation: Ex-SC judge

Ideological pollution is the root of all environmental degradation, and it continues to drive ecological damage through a lack of civic awareness, diminishing sensitivity toward nature, and social and political inaction, former Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay Oka has said. Speaking at a gathering at Dayanand Law College in Latur on Saturday, the former judge said that while citizens possess a constitutional right to live in a pollution-free environment, society continues to suffer due to widespread indifference towards following the law. Oka was the chief guest at the inauguration of a new seminar hall and spoke at the 'Nyay Samvad: Law, Environment and Citizens' programme at the college. "Along with air, water and noise pollution, there is another, less visible form of pollution - ideological pollution - which is at the root of all other forms of environmental degradation," Oka said. He noted that while citizens have a constitutional right to live in a pollution-free environment

Govt to table Bill for independent panel to appoint tribunal chief, members

A Bill to set up a commission to select chairpersons and members for various tribunals following a Supreme Court direction is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha next week. According to the Tribunals Reforms Bill, its key aim is to improve efficiency, ensure independence, transparency and uniformity in the qualification and appointment of chairpersons and members for various tribunals. The Bill, slated for introduction in the Lok Sabha next week, also lays the framework to set up a National Tribunals Commission. To be headquartered in the national capital, the proposed commission will consist of a chairperson and four members, of whom two will be judicial members and two technical members. A retired Supreme Court judge or a retired chief justice of a high court will be qualified to head the proposed panel. The Bill, which has been circulated to the Lok Sabha members, notes that the Supreme Court recently struck down certain provisions of the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, on the .

SC seeks govt's reply on pleas against RTI changes through DPDP Act

Petitioners argued that the amendment broadly exempts personal information from disclosure by removing the public-interest safeguard contained in the earlier RTI provision

SC seeks Centre's response on DPDP Act amendment to right to information

Petitioners argued that the amendment broadly exempts personal information from disclosure by removing the public-interest safeguard contained in the earlier RTI provision

SC notice to telcos on Centre's plea against one-time spectrum charge order

The Centre has challenged a Bombay High Court judgment striking down the retrospective levy, which carried liabilities exceeding Rs 20,000 crore for Airtel and Vodafone Idea

SC rejects plea seeking FIR, probe against former HC judge Yashwant Varma

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking registration of an FIR and court-monitored probe into the purported discovery of huge stash of cash following a fire at the residence of former Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma. A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe dismissed the petition filed by advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay, who contended that mere resigning from office does not erase criminal liability for unaccounted money. The bench said earlier also a similar petition was dismissed. Upadhyay submitted that the earlier petition was dismissed on technical ground that no complaint was filed but in this case, he has filed a complaint. Justice Narasimha told him, "You are an advocate. This is just a misuse of the judicial process. All for cheap publicity. We are not inclined to entertain this. Dismissed." Upadhyay said there is no reason for not entertaining the petition as a judge of the high court has been held to be a public servant. "Now he is

SC asks states to extend ex-servicemen quota to disabled out-boarded cadets

The top court directed its Registry to send the order to Chief Secretaries for consideration and implementation, and asked the Centre to frame a scheme for cadets with disabilities below 40 per cent

SC closes Bofors case, rejects final plea against 2005 Hinduja acquittal

The top court dismissed the last pending appeal against the Delhi High Court's 2005 acquittal of the Hinduja brothers and AB Bofors, bringing the case to its final legal close after nearly 40 years

Kapur family trust dispute: SC hopeful of amicable settlement via mediation

The Supreme Court extended mediation in the Kapur family trust dispute until November 2 after noting progress and expressing hope for an amicable settlement